The Collection of 18th Century Tokens formed by Dr David L Spence

Beccles, issuer uncertain, Lutwyche's Halfpence, 1795 (3), beccles edge, 11.27g/6h (DH 16; Judson 1063), beccles and grained edge, 10.94g/6h (DH 16a; Judson 1063), lancaster edge, 11.41g/6h (DH 16b; Judson –); Blything, Sir John Rous, Halfpenny, 1794, sword point to l in suffolk, god save edge, 11.21g/12h (DH 19; Judson 1063) [4]. First very fine but scuffed, second extremely fine with original colour, others about extremely fine and patinated (£30-40)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of 18th Century Tokens formed by Dr David L Spence.

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Collection

Provenance:
W. Longman Collection, Glendining Auction, 12-13 March 1958, lot 259 (part) [16 and 16a from R. Dalton August 1914, 16b from R. Dalton March 1912, 19 from Lincoln January 1908]
Fawcett/Litman Collection.

Sir John Rous, 6th Bt, 1st Earl of Stradbroke (1750-1827), father-in-law of Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Hotham, GCMG, KCB (1777-1833), succeeded to the family estate at Henham Hall in 1771, but the building was destroyed by fire in 1773 and not rebuilt until the early 1790s; it remains a possibility that, even though they bear no promise of redemption, the tokens were used to help pay the large workforce engaged on the rebuild, which cost over £20,000 and was supervised by Rufus Marsden, the clerk of works. The Rous family finally moved back into the house in 1796. Rous was commanding officer of the first troop of the Loyal Suffolk Yeomanry Cavalry, raised at Blything in 1794. A mezzotint portrait of him, executed in 1811 by Sir William Beechey, is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery